Do you remember where you were when the first plane hit on September 11, 2001? What about when the first tower fell … or the second … or the Pentagon was hit?
I was at work, in our weekly staff meeting, and the news seemed surreal. I asked my supervisor if I could take the rest of the day off because all I wanted to do was be surrounded by family and hold our then one-year-old son.
Every week my mother-in-law would host a family dinner and September 11th happened to be the day it fell on. I remember sitting around the table, loving that we were altogether, listening to the news on in the background and watching the desperate acts of the victims of such a tragedy.
Do you remember how after this tragedy the country came together, unified despite our differences? Flags were flown and we all embraced one another with the common goal of once again feeling safe.
It’s during times of trial when friendships are most appreciated. People who experience similar trials empathize with one another because they understand the feelings of one another from a different perspective.
Years later when our family experienced a miscarriage, God introduced me to an amazing friend who had lost a child herself. Her being present helped me through the grieving period, walking beside me while I cycled through the various stages of grief.
Have you ever had a friend like that in your life? One who understood from a personal level the feelings you were going through when experiencing one of life’s trials? It makes a difference when someone is willing to be there through the good, bad, and ugly.
I want to say thank you to all the men and women who serve our country – from military personnel to first responders who put their lives on the line every day they go to work. You are appreciated and I thank you for your selfless service.
© Cheri Swalwell 2019